Scars of a Façade II
by ATHPluver
Summary: Dry Ice ventures out on a European tour in order to promote their next hit single. Anna struggles with balancing her work and personal life, and Elsa is (yet again) keeping secrets. As the found family stumbles their way across Europe, old scars are opened, rivals surface, and everyone is trying all they can to stay afloat. Elsanna, non-incest. Punk!Elsa AU, sequel. Rated M.
1. New Memories

**I missed these dorks. I know some of you did, too.**

**_Also hey, uh, so I changed why Elsa has her scars._ The beauty about fan fiction is that it's not permanent, lmao, so I went back and fixed the lack of a boom that my 2014/17 year old self came up with (Scars was planned pretty far in back then, but not all of it was good hahaha).**

**So please go back and read Scar's chapter 14, "Demons," chapter 29 "My World," Chapter 30 "Loser," and Chapter 32 "Closing Time." Essentially, I understood that the reason Elsa got her scars was kind of meh now that I am older (yes, that's a nod to Frozen 2).**

**If you have not read Scars of a Façade before this, I suggest checking that out. This might not make **_**any**_** sense to you without a fic's context. I promise you'll enjoy it :)**

**And now, without further ado—Scars of a Façade II (because I couldn't come up with a better title so it may change lol)  
**

* * *

Lights flashed as they descended upon Elsa in near-perfect sync with the music. On her right, Olaf was ripping his strings to shreds as he played. On her left, Sitron was keeping the pace as his bass smoothed out the rhythm. Behind her, Marshmallow slammed on his drums, giving the lights their cues with each loud beat. And Elsa kept on singing, sweat rolling down her face. They were reaching the climax of the song, her throat carrying the final tune out into the venue.

The song ended, leaving them all panting. Elsa looked out into the empty pit, Anna running around like a maniac.

"And the crowd goes wild!" she hollered. She mimicked the sound of an audience with that breathy technique. "Elsa! Elsa! Elsa! Oh, wait, sorry—Dry Ice! Dry Ice!" She ran to one spot. "Ahhh! Sitron, I love you!" She galloped to another. "Olaf! Have my babies!" Dead center. "Marshmallow, I'm gay for you!"

Elsa slumped over her mic stand. "Are we done?"

"Nope! You've still got three more songs to rehearse for the encore, including that last one." Anna looked at her clipboard and jotted a few things down, ignoring the groans of the band. She activated her earpiece and said, "Kristoff, can you try to focus more light on Marsh? We're not getting enough and it's hard to see him from way in the back."

His voice sounded in her ear, "You got it."

And like magic, the spotlight on Marshmallow grew significantly. The drummer blinked up at the light, eyes tired from a long day's work. Anna whirled around and waved at the tech booth behind the mezzanine seats. "You got it! Thank you!" She turned back to the band. "Alright! Let's take it from the top of your encore set. Elsa, you've just finished 'Let It Go,' the classic show stopper, yadda, yadda. The crowd wants more, as they always do. You come out, aaaaaand—" She thrust her hands up dramatically. "Go!"

"Anna, I'm exhausted," Elsa said into the mic, her voice reverberating throughout the venue.

"Then maybe you should have gone to bed earlier last night," Anna criticized slyly.

"Gag me," said Rapunzel, wheeling some equipment behind Anna with the help of Maui.

"Don't give them ideas," said Sitron in his own mic. Rapunzel cracked up laughing.

"Alright, alright! This is a professional setting," Anna reminded them, but her little smile betrayed her words. "Elsa, c'mon, we have to get this setlist down before we fly out next week. We have a whole tour in Europe to worry about and you being tired is only going to prolong the practice. Now, all we need to do is figure out your encore setlist and we'll be done."

"I don't know which songs I want to perform," said Elsa.

"You have three albums and four singles to choose from!"

"And a Christmas album," added Marshmallow.

"That doesn't technically count," Sitron pointed out.

"Why don't you play one of the new ones you've been working on?" Olaf suggested to Elsa, tuning his guitar slightly.

Elsa frowned. "They're not finished yet."

"You have a procrastination problem," he said.

She flipped him off.

"He's not wrong," said Marshmallow.

"What is this? Gang up on Elsa hour?" Elsa pouted.

Anna flashed her pearly whites. "It doesn't have to be if you rehearse. One more go, and then we'll grab dinner. Just you and me."

Elsa considered this for a moment. A private night with Anna—something so rare nowadays—was extraordinarily tempting. She heaved a sigh and grasped her mic.

"Alright. You win. Kristoff, can we turn down the audio playback, though? My earplugs are messing up my harmonization."

"He said he's on it," said Anna, giving Elsa the thumbs up. "Okay, everyone! Cue the intro. Let's start with 'Into the Unknown' this time."

Olaf struck out a few chords for the encore's opening number and they jumped back into the groove of rehearsals. And, as planned—the only thing planned, really—Elsa sang her new hit single, "Into the Unknown," to finish them off.

It had been three years since their first North American tour. The band's crew remained rather small, not including Kristoff, Sven, and Oaken. It was mostly still the same group Anna had hired for their first international tour. Although, Eugene ended up leaving after he met up with one of his old high school friends and they decided to start their _own_ band. Therefore, Anna had to make up for that loss by hiring two new faces, Ryder and Honeymaren, another pair of siblings that had experience in not only tech, but music. They were responsible for ensuring the band had well-tuned instruments before their shows. Ryder also got the job of driving the crew's bus after Philip left Arendelle to live with his girlfriend in Germany.

Anna was taking her role as manager seriously. She had thrown herself into learning all she could about the world of music and going on tour, working closely with Kai to ensure Dry Ice's success. It wasn't easy. They had hit many bumps in the road: the band almost breaking up again (although this time it was because they thought they were failing as artists when their album after "Let It Go" wasn't as successful as they had hoped), two major tours that had taken their toll on Elsa's mental health, and plenty of trolls that loved to shit on every band member every chance they got. Anna once had to wrench Elsa's phone from her hands and ban her from the internet for a week after she had a panic attack over some anti-Dry Ice discord that was ripping her and her music to shreds.

Fortunately, those bumps were fleeting.

The band had gone through some major changes throughout their time together. Under Anna's loving influence, they had become far more open about what they stood for. All this individual work allowed them to stand out from each other, allowing them to gain personal fans rather than waiting in Elsa's shadow. Elsa was working hard on developing her own LGBT foundation. Sitron had gone to speak about the consequences of drunk driving, telling Beth's story to millions. Olaf—now in a little relationship with Moana—had matured a bit thanks to the responsibilities of romance and commitment. Marshmallow remained pretty static, although he was sporting a wavy mohawk rather than his old side-shave look.

They all had new looks, really. And sometimes Anna would have to do a double-take whenever she viewed them. Olaf's hair got a little longer to the point he had to gel it to get it spiky. His muscle-tees replaced with cotton T-shirts, but still had the same graphic aesthetic.

Sitron's beard was growing up his jaw, looking more handsome with each passing day. His wardrobe didn't change too much, but sports blazers tended to replace his old black jacket, which was getting holes in it anyway. He had also finally quit smoking… mostly. He would light up every now and again, but it was more likely one would catch him without a cigarette than with one. His hair was still frosted, though. He liked to keep that trend going within the band.

Marshmallow had been bulking up at the gym, no longer "fluffy," as Olaf would call him. He now wore the muscle tees to show off his guns, Olaf more than happy to let his little brother embrace his self-love of his newfound body image. He had told Anna that Marshmallow used to be incredibly anxious about his body—awkward in some places and such. But with this confidence, it was a wonderful change in his character and spirit.

Elsa had the biggest change of them all. She wasn't as guarded, wasn't as hard to the people around her. She had softened up significantly, and everyone knew it was Anna's doing. The braid she would wear showed up every now and again, but her hair now normally flowed in a rather lovely ponytail that had what Anna liked to call "fae energy." She sported her leather jacket during shows, but her wardrobe went from harsh, bold colors to much softer, pastel colors. Elsa's favorite thing to wear now was a periwinkle tank top and some old black jeans. She was learning how to separate her stage-self from her regular-self. It was still taking her some time to get used to, but Elsa was, for the most part, just as brash and foul-mouthed as usual. She hadn't gotten many new tattoos since she got Anna's name penned in cursive on her hip to match Anna's. Her latest tattoo however, was in Anna's handwriting—the three magic words of affection right above her heart. Anna loved to kiss that token of affection whenever she got the chance.

And while Anna had influenced the entire band, they had done the same to her in return. She had four tattoos, including her tribute to Elsa. She had a little snowflake behind her pierced ear, autumn leaves on her left shoulder, and the phrase "do the next right thing" on her ankle. They were small things that reflected what she loved and believed in, tattoos she had always considered getting. Now that she was the manager of a rock band, she saw no reason not to ink herself. Her hair was always down, that white streak a constant to represent their brand. Otherwise, she was her normal Anna-self.

Then there were the gloves… the infamous gloves with a dark past. It was something Elsa struggled with the most. While she was doing great with not wearing them every hour on the hour, she sometimes went to them like a security blanket. She kept them nearby or somewhere on her person at all times. Anna was proud of her progress, and she wasn't going to rip them from Elsa's hands anytime soon. She wasn't ready, and that was okay. On stage, they were a staple. So they all wore them to events and concerts, keeping them as a part of their overall image.

With Elsa's newest hit, they had the means to go on a short European tour. They were now less than a cover band, finally able to reach out and inspire their fans with their own music beyond "Let It Go." Now all they had to do was rehearse, as they were, and Anna was refusing to let them slack off.

She really did care about her position as manager. After all she had experienced with them, she was determined to see them grow and change in the best possible way. That included pushing them in rehearsals.

Elsa finished their clunky, tentative encore setlist with a tired but enthusiastic, "Whoo!" She tossed a fist in the air, breathless. "Now are we done?"

Anna chuckled. "Yes, dear. We're done." The house lights went up, nearly blinding everyone. The crew began to move about the stage to start packing things away for the night. "Okay, everyone, this was a great day! We'll be back same time tomorrow for our final rehearsal. Elsa, Kai and I want a finalized setlist by then. You'll have all day tomorrow."

"I got it, kid." Elsa nodded to Honeymaren in appreciation as she was handed a towel. "I promise I'll have the setlist for the encore by tomorrow night."

"Awesome. See you all tomorrow! Don't forget to finish packing!" Anna waved after her crew as they continued their work.

The band filtered off the stage, taking large swigs of water. Elsa worked out a kink in her neck as she followed the boys into their temporary dressing room. There they began to change into their street clothes, but not without moaning over practice.

"Everything hurts," grunted Sitron, running a hand through his hair once his glove was discarded.

"I'm so tired," Elsa sighed. "I forget how much Anna works us."

"Did you think that her being our manager would get us out of doing any practice?" Marshmallow asked knowingly. "Because she has long since proved that she's not going to let us get away with slacking."

Olaf giggled. "Oh, yeah, Anna is a hard-ass manager. But in the best way!"

Elsa slumped against the wall as she tied her shoelaces. "Look, I never said she'd let us slack. Knowing Anna, she'd want us at our best after seeing us at our worst."

"You mean like the time I tried to stage-dive and broke my ankle?" Sitron said.

"That wasn't our _worst_, but it certainly was not our best," deadpanned Elsa. "All I'm saying is that she pushes us. I just wish she'd let up for this tour. It's only a European tour, not a world."

"Elsa, this is another big record-breaking hit of yours," said Olaf. "This tour will pave the path to another world tour!" He spread his arms wide. "I know you've been working on that one song that you've been hiding from all of us. If you unveil it soon, it might launch us into one, too!"

"It's almost finished," Elsa promised, and she meant it. "At least, _that _one is."

"Which one?" Sitron said.

"The one I'm not telling anyone about yet. It's personal."

"You're still an enigmatic drama queen," he scoffed.

"That will never change about me." Elsa threw on her jacket and shouldered her duffle bag. "Alright, losers, I'll see you tomorrow. Great practice today."

They all bid her good night. She wandered back into the empty auditorium where Anna was still standing in the middle of the pit. She came to stand in front of Anna, who was nose deep in her clipboard. Her bottom lip was tucked between her teeth, pencil spinning around in her fingers as she read over her checklist.

"About that dinner…" Elsa began, her hand gently pushing the clipboard away from Anna's face.

"Yes?" Anna said with a grin, batting her lashes at Elsa.

"I was thinking we go to that new French place you've been dying to try."

"Ooh, that sounds divine."

"How much longer will you be?"

"Hm… not too long. A lot of this is stuff I can worry about tomorrow." Anna tucked the clipboard beneath her arm, offering her free hand for Elsa to hold. "But I can tell you'll get antsy if I make you wait."

"You know me all too well," said Elsa, smirking that beloved smirk of hers.

"But before we do _anything_, you need to shower." Anna wrinkled her nose. "I love you so much, but I'd rather not have you smelling musty when we go out."

Elsa laughed. "Fair enough."

* * *

"Hey, before we go home," Elsa said as Anna drove them back to their house after dinner, "can we swing by the PO box? I wanna grab a few letters to read on the plane."

"I don't want you searching for the hate again," Anna said, diverting their route a bit. "The minute you see it, give it to me."

"I promise I'll let you deal with it," Elsa said, rolling her eyes.

Anna detected the dismissive tone. "Elsa, I just know what happens when you get hate mail. It sucks and it's rude, but we need you in a good headspace for this tour."

"I know, I know."

"Don't 'I know, I know' me." They idled at a stoplight. "Because the last time we went through the PO box, there was that horrible message from that awful man who decided to completely come after you for no good reason and you fell into a depression for two whole weeks. Justified, but so unfair to you."

"Sitron thinks I should get used to it," Elsa mumbled, burying herself deeper into the sweatshirt she stole from Anna. She gazed out the window, the lights painted along the glass as a gentle rain beats against the car. "I dunno, though…"

"Well, he's both wrong and right. As a public figure, you've always been destined to get hate. That's a given. But it doesn't mean it won't hurt your feelings. It's valid." She tossed Elsa's hair teasingly. "By sensitive baby."

Elsa pursed her lips. "I blame you. It used to roll off my back—"

"That's _such_ a lie, Elsa."

"Okay, you're right. It would hit me hard. But still. I wasn't ever in this sort of spotlight. They used to sort of leave me alone. But with all this success, as wonderful as it is, it threw me into a place I managed to avoid when 'Let It Go' came out."

"Fortunately, you're not alone in that department. Plus, Arendelle is out of the way enough for people to leave you alone in real life… for the most part."

Elsa chortled. "Yes, for the most part."

They pulled up in front of the mail center. Elsa grabbed the key from the glove compartment and hopped out, dashing inside. Anna watched her fiddle with their large box through the glass. A patron stopped her for a quick selfie, to which Elsa happily obliged, and returned to Anna with a decent stack of letters and one package.

"That better not be another stink bomb," said Anna, eyeing the package suspiciously.

"To be fair, that was from Olaf during April Fools," Elsa said, grinning.

"That does _not_ excuse the smell we had in our kitchen for five days." Anna upturned her nose. "He's lucky I didn't kill him."

Elsa laughed. "The absolute murder in your eyes when it exploded was priceless."

"Yeah, and that remodel we had just finished in there was priceless too," Anna mumbled, glaring out the windshield. "I couldn't even enjoy my new kitchen without smelling sulfur for two weeks."

They pulled into the driveway, Elsa pressing the button for their garage door. It slid open and Anna guided her olive green Toyota beside Elsa's dark blue Lexus. Now that they had some roots in Arendelle, they both bought a few necessities (and a few luxuries). Elsa certainly had the money. What they didn't get was a lavish mansion somewhere in the hills of Arendelle. Rather, they spent their time in a modest yet comfortable home nestled in the suburbs, no longer in the apartment they had bought together after Elsa moved to Arendelle officially. Elsa had looked into a house after Anna complained about lugging groceries up the elevators. It was a perfect home for two, maybe three, but adding anyone else was the last thing on their mind. They weren't home often enough, after all.

But it was all they needed and all they wanted. Home and each other.

Elsa was glad to be home for the night after such a long day. She slumped into the foyer, tugging off her shoes and chucking them on the rack beside the garage door into the house. Anna stumbled in after her, already barefoot since the moment she got out of the car.

"I don't know about you," Anna yawned dramatically as she kicked the door shut, "but I am ready for bed." She heaved a sigh.

"Oh, uh, actually—don't you want to have a quick cup of tea first?" Elsa said hurriedly, setting the mail to the side.

"You know what? That's not a bad idea." Anna nodded. "I have some work to wrap up in the study anyway. Be a dear and bring me a cup of ginger tea when it's ready, please?"

"Of course."

Anna pecked her cheek. "Thank you, Els."

Elsa watched her wander down the hall and out of sight. She quickly made a dive for her leather jacket that hung on the coat rack, digging around in her breast pocket. She fished out a small leather box, clutching it tightly in her hand. Paranoid that it had vanished, Elsa cracked it open to ensure that the modest rose quartz ring was still snug in its spot. She sighed in relief as it sparkled in the light.

She had been waiting for ages for the perfect opportunity to propose. It wasn't easy—they were both extremely busy, naturally, and most nights they were too tired to carry on after rehearsals. Elsa had bought the ring months ago, but it was around the same time they were finalizing the tour dates. She recognized that it had been absolutely bad timing on her end, but she decided to simply try when she felt the time was right.

After such a lovely evening out, Elsa figured that it would be a quiet, intimate time to get down on her knee.

But first—tea.

Elsa turned on their electric kettle and leaned the small of her back against the counter. She breathed in deeply, trying to steady the bout of anxiety that was springing from the pit of her stomach. She hoped that Anna would say yes. They had been together for almost four years after all. They were pretty solid for the most part, aside from small hiccups here and there. Both older and wiser, they hadn't had an explosion of a fight since their first tour, which of course led Elsa into admitting her true feelings for Anna.

Anna has been nothing but a blessing for her. Elsa wanted nothing more than to show Anna that she was determined to dedicate all her love to her. Sure, they didn't need labels or titles—marriage was just a piece of paper at the end of the day. But Anna used to talk so lovingly about her own wedding. How she'd arrange the guests, what everyone would eat, what her first dance would be to. Nowadays, she hardly had time to think about what they'd eat for dinner, but Elsa remembered Anna's little dreamy moments. She hoped she could be half the woman Anna deserved.

The kettle shook on its stand as the water came to a boil. Elsa shut it off and fixed Anna some ginger tea and a cup of decaf chamomile for herself. She carefully inched over to their study, where Anna was hard at work in front of their computer. Elsa cleared her throat, making herself known, and earned an affectionate smile as she set down the mug beside Anna's hand.

"For you, my darling," Elsa said silkily.

"Thank you," Anna hummed, blowing on the drink before taking a sip.

"This was a lovely evening, don't you think?" Elsa said, trying to ease the conversation toward something that could build into a proposal.

"It really was. I think that we're all going to benefit greatly from tomorrow's rehearsal," Anna mused.

Elsa bit back a groan. If there was one thing that was difficult to tear Anna away from, it was work-talk. Elsa didn't _mind_ talking about their lives on and behind the stage. It was a major part of their day-to-day. But sometimes Anna was so absorbed in it that Elsa would struggle to steer the conversation back to something beyond their careers.

She desperately wanted to maintain the track of romance tonight so she could intimately pop the question. But the one problem with getting Anna all alone was that, well, she wasn't quite alone. Her thoughts were a constant, buzzing presence that often distracted her. Sometimes, Elsa would wake up in the middle of the night to find Anna sitting up in bed and staring at her phone. It was always work related. Her eyes would be wide open, teeth gnawing on her lip, and fingers tapping out an email or schedule change or something. Elsa once had to yank the phone away and shove it in their laundry basket just so Anna could get _some_ sleep.

Phones were now banned after a certain hour of the night. Anna sometimes didn't abide by that rule when she was particularly busy, but that was when Elsa let it slide. She would end up waking up later to find Anna frazzled and pry the phone out of her hands and hide it in her bedside table drawer.

But the ban on phones didn't solve every problem. When Anna had a quiet moment, it would never last for too long. Something would pop into her head, something would trigger a reminder or an idea, and she'd start talking to anyone who would listen—and usually that was Elsa. Anna once barged into their kitchen, interrupting Elsa's morning coffee, and sputtered out this long list of things she had planned for their first world tour. All Elsa could do was stare, wide-eyed, her mug inches from her lips as she watched Anna speak violently with her hands, whirling around the kitchen like a twister.

"I've created a monster," Elsa had told Kai.

He had simply laughed and said, "A monster with a work ethic." He had assured her that Anna was doing great, but Elsa knew that already.

And now it looked like that work ethic monster was creeping out of its hiding hole this evening once more.

"Yes… the rehearsal…" Elsa fiddled with her mug. "Anna, don't you wanna talk about how lovely our date was—?"

"You know what would be a great idea?" Anna cut her off, scrolling through some emails on the computer.

With a quiet sigh, "What?"

"Okay, so you know how when we did that soap-snow during the 'Let It Go' tour? I'm thinking for when you sing 'Into the Unknown,' we can have you, like, point to different parts of the venue and sort of magically activate the snowfall. Obviously, it's Kristoff hitting a button, of course, but we gotta live up to your Snow Queen name, you know?"

"Uh…" Elsa felt the weight of her little box in her pocket, but she knew that tonight was most likely not going to be the night. Anna was too distracted by work, and it would be odd to propose after such a discussion.

"What do you think? I have to run these little things by you first, of course. I'm just picturing the whole thing in my head, and I think the effect would look super fucking badass. Imagine! The Snow Queen making a blizzard above her adoring… subjects…" Anna glanced up briefly, but did a double-take when she saw the glazed over look in Elsa's eye. "I… I'm doing it again. I'm sorry." She knew that she often let work cloud her attention. And she also knew that, as patient as Elsa can be with her, it got to be a little much. "I just… look, I have all these ideas and I don't know how else to get them out, you know?"

Elsa softened. "Kid, it's alright. Just… it sucks when we're home and you've still got it on your mind. This is a place to relax and get away from work."

She swiveled in her chair so she was facing out to Elsa. "You know it's always worse before a tour of a show."

"I know. And you have the band's best interests at heart, Anna. That's a given." She set down her mug and crouched down in front of Anna, taking her hands in her own. A part of her wanted to get down on one knee instead, but now was not the time. "I hate seeing you stressed out over all this. Maybe we should get you a PA."

"Like who?"

"I dunno… ah, what about Honeymaren? She's always helpful and on the ball. She's right alongside you with staying on task."

"Yeah. Maybe."

"It might be a good place for you to vent all your ideas and let someone else worry about them so you can focus on other things."

"I'm sorry that it's been annoying you."

"Oh, Anna, it's not _annoying _me."

Softly, "You don't have to lie."

"I'm _not_ lying. I'm your girlfriend. I'm always gonna be here to listen to your ideas. But when I'm home, I want to kick back and chill and not have to worry about work. Because you're here." She ran her thumbs over Anna's knuckles. "This is where we can be ourselves." Elsa leaned up just a bit to kiss Anna sweetly. "If it's any consolation, the band has never been more organized."

Anna laughed. "That I know all too well."

Elsa grinned and kissed Anna's nose, her cheeks, and her forehead, eliciting shy giggles from the redhead. "Finish your work soon, okay? I think we need to warm up the bed before we go to sleep."

"Ooh, you're so very tempting." Anna's eyes sparkled. "I'll get it done as fast as I can."

Before she returned to the computer, she watched as Elsa grabbed her mug and winked. Elsa slipped out of the office paused in front of their bedroom, sighing. She took out the ring box and frowned.

"Another time, Els," she whispered. "Another time."

* * *

It was a large crew to transport across the world. It was Anna, the four idiots of Dry Ice, and eight crew members. And although they've boarded many flights together, Anna would never get over the band's "leisure wear" for planes. It went beyond the laziness that they wore on the bus rides. Nope, it was sweatpants and oversized band shirts for the Abominable Snow Brothers, track pants and a crew neck sweater for Sitron, and leggings and Anna's absconded college sweatshirt for Elsa. Elsa even had her hair up in a dishevled bun that Anna envied because _how_ can Elsa look so hot like that?

"Like a hot _mess_," Elsa had joked when Anna expressed this to her on one of their first flights.

Everyone else had similar wear, but it wasn't far off from what they normally had on hand. It always perplexed Anna to see her precious band in anything but their punk rock façades. Even at home, Elsa had some of her normal style whenever she lounged around. It made Anna feel frumpy in her flannel pajama bottoms and Dry Ice tour tee that she wore about the house. In fact, that's the kind of outfit she was wearing on the plane. That, and her hair was tied in her old twin braids.

She was considering all this as she took in her little—or, well, not so little anymore—family as they checked in their luggage. Oaken had gone first so he could oversee the rest of them and ensure their safety. Kai was standing beside Anna, dressed in his business best so he could see them off before returning to work.

"I know this is one of our smaller tours," he was saying to Anna, "but I do hope that they'll be on their best behavior." He eyed Elsa and Olaf as they played Slide like school-aged children, waiting behind Marshmallow as he checked in his luggage.

"Everything is gonna be fine, Kai," Anna promised, fiddling with the straps of her backpack. "You'll get detailed emails on everything worth reporting everyday. I promise."

"I trust you, Anna," said Kai. "You've been a tremendous blessing on us all."

Anna blushed humbly. "I've just been doing my best."

"And it certainly _is_ your best."

Once her crew was all checked in, Anna was the last to send off her suitcases. After they vanished along the conveyor belt, they regrouped at near the entrance of security.

"Okay, everyone," said Anna, standing before them like a general in front of her troops. Or, really, like a mother in front of her rowdy children. "Do you have your tickets? Yes… good. Carry-on? Good. Remember, we have a connecting flight in Boston before we land in England. With that being said, please get some rest on the plane."

"And please try not to give Anna a heart attack on this tour," added Kai.

"What about a migraine?" quipped Sitron.

"Sitron, you're the biggest reason I have headaches in the first place," Anna shot back.

As the band laughed, Sitron gave her some finger guns and a small grin. "Fair enough," he said.

"I wish you all luck," said Kai. "If you need me, I'm just a call away." He clapped Anna on the shoulder. "I leave them in your care."

"Thanks, Kai. Drive safe!" Anna waved goodbye. She turned back to her band and crew. "Alright, gang. Let's get security over with."

"Can we get Starbucks once we're inside?" asked Elsa, bounding over to Anna's side.

"McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's!" Olaf hollered.

"Can we please fucking _wait _until we get on the first plane to drive me insane?" Anna begged.

"Anna, you know that'll never happen," said Kristoff. "Now, about that Starbucks…"

* * *

**Now, in no way do I expect this to be better than the first/good at all, haha. This is really because I missed writing these dorks. I have the whole plot mapped out now, so prepare for a fic that won't be as long as the first (I hope), and probably lowkey awful but whatever this is for me.**

**Thanks for reading! And I hope you're just as excited about seeing this fuckheads in action as I am.**

**Fav/Follow/Review**

**See you next time!**


	2. Trouble

**I feel the love! Thank you all so much for giving this little sequel a chance.**

**And to answer a guest comment: this takes place three years after the first fic, just as the second movie takes place three years after the events of the first. **_**Technically**_**, it's 2017 in this story because the first one took place in 2014 i.e. the year I published it. But time isn't real so there will most likely be some anachronisms here.**

**Anyway, let's get back to my bullshit!**

* * *

Anna poked her head over her seat to check on the band and crew. They were all sitting in business class, taking up a few rows on one side of the plane, sitting two by two. Oaken was the exception, having to take up an entire row by himself. Anna was, of course, seated beside Elsa, who was flipping through the few letters that she had picked up from their P.O. box.

The plane was quiet and dark, the flight across the pond drifting well into the night. Most of the passengers were snoozing, a couple of overhead lights on but not powerful enough to break the sleepy silence of the cabin. One of those lights was above Elsa, casting that oddly soothing golden glow along her tray table.

When Anna was certain her crew was definitely still comfortable, she slid back down to face forward. She checked the little screen on the back of the seat, frowning grumpily at the glaring "three hours left!" message. Three hours... that felt like an eternity crammed in here. She would launch herself out of the plane if it meant getting feeling back in her body again. Okay, perhaps that was a _bit_ dramatic of her, but she was getting such a horrid case of cabin fever.

She rolled her neck along her shoulders, feeling her body crack and pop. She stretched a bit more, her legs filling the space available to them. It wasn't much, but at least it provided some relief for a moment.

Not five minutes passed when she tapped the screen again. Three hours left didn't change.

"The more often you check," Elsa said softly, not looking up from her letters, "the longer it's going to feel."

"Since when did _I_ become the impatient one in this relationship?" Anna huffed, folding her arms over her chest as the screen went black.

Elsa smirked. "Since we started flying to locations. Usually you're so chill on tours."

"That's because I'm on a bus most of the time. I hate flying." Anna stole another glance over the seats. "I feel so cramped and bored. On the bus, we had video games and space to move around."

"So get up and take a little stroll."

"If I do, you're gonna take my window seat."

With a stifled laugh, "Ah, you've caught onto my schemes."

"Fool me once, shame on you." She fidgeted in her seat. "Ugh, but my legs are so stiff. Even in these pants." She tugged distractedly on the flannel, her elbows hitting all that was around them. "How do you manage to sit there like a statue while I flaunt around like crazy?"

Elsa took a sip of her ginger ale. "I dunno. I just do it."

Anna pouted, playing with the end of one of her pigtails. She so desperately wanted to lift the window shutter and see what was down below, but she knew that all she'd see would be inky blackness of the night. She had tried everything to distract herself: reading, playing her 3DS, doodling, and even attempted at taking a nap. She could never bring herself to sleep on planes. Her neck always ended up getting stiff and she would feel crabby the moment she cracked her eyes open. No matter how many times she had to fly, she couldn't ever get a proper bit of rest.

She took a curious glance at the little stack of letters in front of Elsa. Some were handwritten, others were typed. There was a couple of pieces of art that had been lovingly drawn of Elsa and the guys. It was always something Anna liked to see, and she was once so flattered that someone recreated an Instagram post of Elsa and herself in charcoal and sent it to them. They had it framed in their hallway.

Elsa was currently nose-deep in a freshly opened letter, a light smile on her face. Anna had to hand it to Elsa; she always made time to sit and read her fan mail, and she made sure to deliver the ones addressed to the boys. When Elsa had a moment, she would sometimes write back if there was a return address, but there were so many so much of the time that she could hardly answer them all. So, she made an effort to answer questions on Twitter or an Instagram live feed.

It was admirable how in touch she was with her fans. With the wonders of modern technology and social media, she was able to show appreciation toward them while still maintaining boundaries. Anna didn't know many celebrities who found the time to care so much, but Elsa was always different when it came to her fanbase.

"Who's that from?" Anna asked.

"Some kid in Delaware. Asking me about how to write music." Elsa chuckled. "They came to the wrong person, to be honest."

"Els, you write fantastic songs."

"I just take a thousand years to finish them."

Anna grinned. "You have a point."

Elsa folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. She turned off the light next, lifting the armrest separating her from Anna. She scooted close to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You know, we won't be getting much alone time on this trip," Elsa reminded her.

"It's not like we got much alone time on _any_ tour," Anna pointed out.

"That's true. But each tour feels more and more... I dunno, compact?"

"I know what you mean. The way our crew has been extending and such... it gets to be a lot. Maybe we need to take a vacation. Like, a _real_ vacation. Not flying to vacation destinations to perform."

"You mean going to Hawaii for two weeks and spending half of that time in the hotel room sleeping and the other half eating ourselves close to death?"

Anna giggled. "Exactly like that." She nuzzled her head in between Elsa's neck and shoulder. "It's just too bad that we have so much on our plates all the time. And I've still got to think about all this lighting business that Kristoff wants to test during rehearsals. Not to mention, I have a phone meeting with Kai and Yelena once we land in London. Ugh, what did I get myself into?"

"A stable job with a steady income that takes you to all the corners of the map?" Elsa teased.

"Okay, I'll admit, it's a cool job that I love. I just…" She shrugged. "I dunno, Els. I miss you."

Elsa kissed her head. "I miss you, too. Look, how about we make an effort to try and take some time off once this tour is over? We don't even have to actually travel anywhere far. Maybe we can take the PCL down to Los Angeles or up to Seattle? Oregon is a great middle ground for cool, nearby locations."

"That sounds like a great idea. We can definitely think more about it when my head isn't so preoccupied."

"Deal." She weaved their hands together, her thumb brushing the top of Anna's knuckles. Anna couldn't help but smile at skin meeting skin. Elsa truly had come so far with her gloves—or, rather, without them.

Speaking of, "How's Iduna doing?" Anna asked.

"Mom's okay. She said that my grandmother is hanging in there." Elsa sighed heavily. "She also understands that I'm not ready to see her again."

"Didn't she try to talk to you the other day?"

"She wanted to, yeah, but Mom said no. Thank god." She shook her head. "I dunno if I'll ever be ready, Anna."

"The fact that you've decided to forgive Iduna says volumes. But you are under no obligation to forgive your grandmother. What she did to you was awful." She tightened her grip on Elsa. "Ultimately, it's up to you to decide if she deserves your forgiveness. No one is gonna think you're cruel for stepping away from someone so toxic and abusive."

Elsa nodded. "You're right. I've just been going over it in my head ever since she tried to get on the phone. I want to feel guilty, but I don't. But I _do_." She groaned and ran her free hand over her face. "In any case, I'm just glad that Mom and I have been patching things up, as of late."

"I know it was hard for you to take that first step, but I'm proud of you." Anna kissed her jaw. "And I love you."

"I love you, too, kid." She reached over and tapped their screen, the light blinding them both. Elsa blinked through the spots dancing in her eyes to check the progress of their flight. "Nope. Three hours to go, still."

"Fuck me," Anna grumbled.

"Aren't we already part of the mile high club?"

"That was _one_ time and so nerve-wracking. I'm never doing that again."

Elsa had to slap a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing too loudly. Anna leaned back and glared at her, the punk shaking her head helplessly. Fighting an incredulous smile, Anna sat back in her seat, making a grab for her 3DS. Pouting, Elsa wrapped her arms around Anna's shoulder and started to kiss every inch of her face, preventing the poor redhead from seeing where she was reaching.

"Elsa, oh my god," Anna giggled, grasping at air at this point.

"Loooooove me, baby."

"It's getting hot, there's no proper air circulation."

"It's only hot because you and I are in the room." Elsa planted a big one on Anna's lips. Anna struggled to contain a tiny moan from escaping. "Come on, that little romp last time was fun…"

"Absolutely not," Anna panted, attempting and failing to untangle herself from Elsa's embrace.

Elsa snorted. "Fine, fine." She let Anna go. "Sorry, I had to get you all hot and bothered."

"You really didn't. You're lucky I love you so much that I tolerate this behavior."

"Tolerate?" Elsa let out a laugh. "You're the one who suggested—!"

"Excuse me."

The two of them paused their not-really-argument and turned to find a flight attendant frowning down at them. Her hands were tucked neatly behind her back, an accent that the British Airway employers would be proud of on her tongue.

"I must ask you to keep it down. The gentlemen two seats behind you is complaining about the noise level getting to be excessive," she said crisply.

"Sorry," Anna squeaked, face flushing. "We'll be quiet."

The flight attendant nodded and moved on. Elsa furrowed her brows, lifting her head over the seats to see who had complained. Lo and behold, it was Sitron, flipping Elsa the bird over the heads of a snoozing Olaf and Moana.

"Oh, fuck you, Sitron," Elsa hissed.

"Shut the fuck up, you're so _loud_," he heatedly whispered back.

Elsa rolled her eyes and plopped back down. Anna busied herself with finding her game system.

"Asshole," Elsa grunted, folding her arms across her chest and burying herself against the fabric.

"To be fair, we _are_ on an overnight flight. We should keep it down."

With another huff, Elsa tapped the screen once more. "Thank god. Officially two hours left… are you _sure_—?"

"_Elsa_."

The punk snickered, deciding to read more letters instead. They returned to the silence of the cabin, the jet carrying them safely to England.

* * *

After collecting their luggage, making their way out of the airport with some effort, and checking into the hotel, Anna rounded up the gang one last time before they were allowed to relax. She gave them their itinerary for their time in London, sending off her tired crew shortly afterward.

They'd pick up the buses in the morning before they were off to their first rehearsal. It was going to be a long stretch of nothing but non-stop movement with very little breathing room. It certainly wasn't anything that they couldn't handle. They've done it before with success. Bumps in the road were to be expected, but that was given with any trip—tour or not.

Which meant that Anna would be putting on her manager guise.

Which also meant that Elsa would hardly see hide nor hair of her beloved, goofy redhead.

It really was a struggle during tour seasons. Especially those overseas. Elsa had to hand it to her, though. Even though it got to be a bit difficult, Anna's dedication still glared through. It got to the point she taught herself—and had a notebook stuffed with—common idioms and greetings from every country they visited. The locals seemed to appreciate her effort when trying to communicate, smiling as she fumbled through the book and clumsily asked for necessities in broken grammar and her thick American accent. They absolutely adored her attempts in Japan, huddling over her notebook and assisting her in correcting some grammar to make things clearer for everyone to understand.

The one time Elsa actually was glued to Anna's hip for translation purposes was in France. Sitron also helped Anna with Spanish whenever he could. He wasn't as fluent as he'd like to be, but it was improving whenever he had to put it into practice. Olaf joked with Anna to require everyone on the crew to learn at least one language from around the world in order to make her life easier. She had laughed about it, told Rapunzel of Olaf's idea, and her cousin suddenly started brushing up on her German.

Aside from those, Anna was married to her notebook, but it did the job.

Fortunately, they were in England, and most people spoke English, so Anna didn't need to whip out the notebook just yet. Although she had spotted handwriting that looked suspiciously like Sitron's insisting that she use stereotypical "British phrases" when communicating. She had half a mind to rip it out, but she left it in there in the end because it gave her a laugh.

Bundled up in warm clothing, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Honeymaren caught a cab to the bus depot the following morning. Anna was already all business as she clutched her iPad in her hand, her digital checklist at the ready. The other three quietly followed her lead as she spoke with those in charge until they were led to two buses nearby. They were a little smaller than their usual buses back home, but that was to be expected. There was plenty of storage space for their equipment, which got Kristoff's approval.

"Let's take a look at our temporary digs," Anna said cheerfully as the employee opened the door of the first bus. "I'll be staying in here with Elsa and the guys."

"Hell yeah, the OG crew!" Kristoff raised his hand to Elsa for a high-five, and she gave it to him without sparing him a glance.

Anna climbed up the small set of steps, poking her head into the main room from the driver's spot. Elsa went in after her, looking over Anna's shoulder.

"A little more cramped in here than usual," Elsa hummed.

Anna cocked her head to one side. "It's not too bad…"

Unlike their old bus with a bit of breathing room, everything was more compact. To be fair, theirs was built like a damn tank, while this one could not afford such a luxury. There were black leather seats parallel to each other, but the set on the left was cut off by a little table before the rest of it "continued on," shoved in a corner and acting as a booth. Above the longer bit was a small flat screen TV for the other side to view. The right side was smaller, however. And it was set against the counter for their kitchenette, another flat screen mirroring the first.

The kitchenette consisted of one bit of counter space and a sink. Beneath both were two mini fridges. Above the sink was some cabinet space and a microwave. Above both televisions was plenty of extra storage space for luggage and other items. Beyond this living space was the door to the bathroom and the six sleeping spaces just like their old bus. But instead of two rooms in the back, there was just one large bedroom that made up the last section of the bus. The bed itself took up more than half of the room, drawers for clothing underneath the mattress.

"It's cozy," Anna decided.

"Will it fit us and six wild boys?" Elsa asked.

"Hey!" Kristoff said indignantly.

"Kristoff, fortunately, you and Marshmallow are the least rowdy out of you all." Anna stepped forward, inspecting every nook and cranny. She made a few notes about prior damage so they wouldn't be charged. Elsa tried out the couches, slumping into the pleather.

"What's the verdict, babe?" Elsa said.

"Checks out so far. Honeymaren, can you go and see about your bus?"

Honeymaren nodded. "For sure." She followed the employee to the bus next door, leaving Anna with Elsa and Kristoff.

"Have you inducted her as your assistant manager?" Kristoff said.

"More or less," Anna said, crouching down and opening the mini fridges. "It was Elsa's idea."

"She's the most productive of our new hires," Elsa said. At this point, she was already lounging on the couch, feet propped up on the table. "I figured it would reduce the chance of Anna having a heart attack."

"I'm _fine_, and please get your feet down." Anna made a swipe for Elsa's boots. "We haven't even moved in our luggage, and you're already making this your sty."

"Oh, please. The next people who rent the bus will be thrilled to see _my_ bootprints on the table."

"On which _we_ will be eating for the next two months," Anna added.

"At least let me fuck up the place after the tour."

"No."

Anna moved on to further inspect the bedroom. Elsa scowled and swung herself so she was sitting upright. Kristoff raised his brows at her.

"Trouble in paradise?" he said quietly, keeping an eye on Anna to make sure she wasn't listening in.

"Not really," Elsa grunted, resting her elbows on her knees. "She's just in Manager Anna mode like usual."

"Right." Kristoff sat beside her. "Look, the tour will be over before you know it and Anna will slowly inch out of this state of mind. She's a hard worker."

"I know, I know. I've had this talk with literally everyone on the bus." Elsa ran a hand through her hair. "It just fucking sucks."

"Why don't you stop stressing over this and focus on something else for a change? Like writing that new song called…?"

"None of your business."

"Fuck, I thought that would work."

Elsa smirked. "I'll give you brownie points for trying." Her smirk melted away before she leaned back in her seat, huffing. "It's just… I dunno, man. You know it's difficult for me."

"I know. Just try not to overthink it or make it a bigger deal than it is. Anna loves you, and we all know that when she feels like she needs to be your girlfriend first, she will."

Elsa shrugged moodily. She didn't really want to keep dwelling on this for too long. She knew she was being a little unreasonable—Anna was just doing her job. A job that Elsa encouraged her to do.

She just wished that it wasn't going to be like this forever…

"Okay!" Anna said as she returned to them. "This bus has the Manager Anna stamp of approval! Let's go check on Honeymaren and the other bus."

She hopped out of their bus without another word. Kristoff got up, offering a hand to Elsa.

"Come on, Miss Grumpy," he said pleasantly. "Once you get all cozy and cuddly with Anna in that back room, you'll be turning that frown upside down in no time."

Elsa rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up. They followed after Anna, who was chatting animatedly with the depot's employee. He was smiling at her kindly as she filled out the remaining paperwork. Once everything was clear, they met their two drivers—Frank and Tom—who would be taking care of their journey throughout the tour.

They took the buses back to the hotel, Kristoff leading the crew in packing all their personal equipment. Anna huddled up with the band a little ways away from the action.

"Okay. Let's talk rehearsal time for you four." She clicked through her iPad. "We'll start it up tonight. At least for the first half. The venue isn't too far away, so we should be golden as soon as we're all settled in the bus. Sound good?"

Sitron raised his hand. "Question."

"Yes?"

"When will our breaks be?" Marshmallow elbowed him. "What!? It's a valid question!"

"Sitron, you'll get plenty of time to relax and explore the city. I'm not putting you on lockdown. The only time I _had_ to was when you all refused to practice because you were busy cooing over husky puppies at that adoption center when I found you."

"To be fair, Anna—to be fair… they were cute," said Olaf.

"Elsa was about to adopt every single puppy in there!"

"Didn't you hear Olaf?" Sitron scoffed. "They were cute!"

Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh my god."

"Boys, give her a rest," Elsa said, smiling in spite of herself. "Let's make these two months nice and easy, okay?"

"Thank you, Elsa."

"Although, I didn't think it was fair that you dragged me away from Sir Fluffybottom—"

"Elsa, c'mon!"

"And Lady Freckleface," Olaf added.

"You guys keep this up and you'll be on lockdown the entire time we're here!"

Elsa gasped, falsely scandalized. "You wouldn't!"

"Wanna bet!?" Anna got right into her face, a hand on her hip.

All Elsa did was smirk and plant a kiss on Anna's lips, enjoying the little smile that Anna couldn't fight. Their manager cleared her throat and returned to her iPad.

"_Anyway_," she continued, shaking her head. "We have a busy tour coming up. So, please, make this easy on all of us and the crew. Got it?"

"Of course," Olaf said, grinning widely.

"Yup," said Sitron.

"Always," confirmed Marshmallow.

"We're in this together, kid," Elsa promised. "We'll do our best to make this tour one of our best."

"I have complete faith in each of you." Anna locked her iPad and tucked it under her arm. "Now, let's get comfortable in our new home."

* * *

It always blew Anna away how easily they fell into their old routines when it came to touring. The minute everyone got settled and unpacked, they were immediately making the place their own. Olaf was already lounging in his bunk, snoozing away the jet lag, Sitron was on the couch, tuning his bass to practice, and Marshmallow was raiding the freshly stocked kitchenette with Sven. Kristoff was sitting at the booth, typing up emails for his grandfather on his laptop. Elsa and Anna were enjoying some quiet time in their bedroom, their belongings spread all across the large bed.

Elsa was nose-deep in a notebook, trying to work out the kinks of one of her new songs. This one was stronger in completion, she felt. It was a lullaby of sorts, one she'd been playing around with for a couple of months. She was humming the melody under her breath as she worked.

Anna, of course, was sending off emails to her higher-ups and going over their schedule for the week. Elsa kept stealing glances at her, admiring how her hair was spun in a messy bun atop her head, red bangs falling into her face. She couldn't stop thinking about the engagement ring in her backpack. She had debated on leaving it back home, but she didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to propose to Anna once it presented itself to her. It might just be on this trip, and she wasn't about to risk leaving it behind.

"Uh… hey," Elsa started carefully, earning Anna's curious gaze. "So, do you think we'll be able to have some alone time on this trip?"

"It's possible. It depends on how much we get done. I'm trying to work in days off, but it's not easy." She returned to her screen. "The minute we have an opening, I _promise_ that it'll be saved for just you and me to spend some time together."

"Okay." Elsa tried not to sound to dejected.

However, Anna caught onto it. She spared her work one final inkling of attention before she closed her computer. She scooted off the bed and closed the door, ignoring the loud gagging noises that Sitron was making in response. With nimble fingers, she slipped Elsa's notebook out of her view and set it aside.

"I know it's been hard on us," Anna whispered, settling beside Elsa. She wrapped her arms around Elsa's shoulders, nuzzling a kiss against her jawline. "And I'm sorry for that."

"Anna, we've had this conversation time and time again. It's nothing you _need_ to apologize for." Elsa leaned her head against Anna's. "Let's just not think about the tour right now. Can we just be before it really begins?"

"Of course."

Elsa smiled and went in for a kiss—only to be cut off as Anna's phone began to buzz. Anna made a dive for it, completely missing the stupendous eye-roll from the punk.

"Hi, Kai!" Anna said, finally shooting Elsa an apologetic grin. All Elsa did was reach for her backpack and shuffle through more fan mail. "Yes, we've got the bus. We're going to the venue now… uh-huh. Practice starts tonight, like I promised."

As Anna continued to talk to Kai, Elsa picked up an unopened letter. She began to read it, shutting out Anna's boring conversation. Noting Elsa's obvious annoyance, Anna decided to take the conversation outside, making a mental note to make it up to her later.

* * *

"Great rehearsal, everyone!" Anna applauded, beaming proudly at the sweaty members of Dry Ice. "Also, Kristoff," she added into her headset, "amazing move with the lights during 'Into the Unknown.'"

"Thank you!" he chirped.

"Sound quality is amazing." Anna turned toward the empty seats. "And it's gonna be a sold-out show, too!"

"Elsa, you okay?" Olaf asked.

Everyone in the general vicinity turned to Elsa, who was quietly holding her mic against its stand. She blinked distractedly, seeming to come back to reality.

"Huh?" She scratched the back of her head. "Yeah… yes, sorry. I just got super spacey."

"You've been really weird since before last night's rehearsal," said Marshmallow.

It was true. It wasn't difficult to miss whatsoever. Something had happened between Anna's phone call and now that made Elsa somewhat out of it and contemplative. Nobody knew quite what it was, but it was enough to shine through and make everyone question what happened. Anna had attempted to pry the answer from Elsa, but never got the full story. Just a lot of hums or "I'll tell you later" in response. She assumed it was because she ended their little love-fest _far_ too early. She knew it was wrong, but Elsa normally would have pulled her aside for a make-up session.

"It's nothing," Elsa promised, but she didn't sound so sure herself. "Just some fan mail…"

_Finally_, Anna thought. _A legit reason. _"That's it?"

"Kind of."

"Elsa, I told you not to read the shitty ones," she said crossly.

"I'm _not_ reading the shitty ones," Elsa snapped at her.

"Then what was it?"

"It doesn't matter right now."

"If it's not that, then you have to tell me what it is." Anna's voice was starting to rise.

"I really _don't_ have to, Anna."

"We want to help you," Olaf attempted to tack on, but they ignored him.

Anna went on hotly, "Being spacey isn't going to help us for the show, Elsa."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Don't 'whatever' me, Elsa. Just tell me the truth: Is it actually because I answered Kai's call last night, then?"

"No! Fucking hell, Anna, it's not always about you!"

Anna froze, her mask of professionalism slipping and revealing the same-old kid from their first tour. She was suddenly a deer caught in the headlights, not only realizing herself and her tone, but feeling Elsa's bitter words cut deep. The guys weren't sure how to react, and Kristoff was saying something in Anna's ear that she wasn't quite listening to.

Elsa merely huffed impatiently and took out her earplugs. "I'm tired, okay? I'm going to the dressing room."

"Elsa—" Sitron tried.

She ignored him, racing offstage. Anna's shoulders wilted, fighting embarrassed tears as they stung. She felt the boys staring at her concernedly. She locked eyes with Olaf and mustered a pained smile.

"It's about time she blew up at me properly, huh?" she asked weakly.

"She's always been so patient with you when it came to work," said Olaf, shaking his head. "So this doesn't make any sense."

"I haven't been making it easier on her, though." Anna combed a hand through her hair. "I'll go talk to her."

"Maybe in a bit," Marshmallow suggested. "After she's let off some steam."

"I don't want her to stew in it."

Sitron clicked his tongue. "Maybe she needs to realize that she yelled at you without being properly provoked. I mean, shit, yelling isn't okay regardless, but that came out of the fucking blue. Being out of it or not."

"You know, she can probably still hear you guys," Kristoff's voice said in Anna's ear. "They're talking right into the microphones that can be heard backstage."

"Right," Anna said ruefully. "I'll change the subject." She took in a deep breath. "Guys, look, it's fine. Let's just focus on the game-plan for your stage door meet and greets."

"Anna—"

"It's _fine_, Olaf. Really. I'll be okay. She'll cool down and I'll talk to her…"

After Anna went over their little game-plan, she decided to hold a meeting with her crew about the concert the following evening. The boys, however, decided to go find Elsa and demand to know what was wrong. She was still in the dressing room, fuming as she changed into her street clothes.

Sitron launched into it with, "Dude, what the fuck?"

"What do you mean, 'what the fuck?'" Elsa snarled.

"You just totally shut Anna down without a thought out there!" Olaf stepped in.

"I thought you wanted to propose to her, not fuck up your relationship!" added Sitron, flailing an arm in exasperation.

"Well, considering the fact she hardly has time for me now, what does it matter?" Elsa said, shoving her sweatshirt over her head.

"Oh my god, you're still such a fucking drama queen," Sitron groaned.

"Elsa, come on," Olaf pleaded. "Anna's recognizes—"

"No, she doesn't. But that's not the issue here." Elsa snatched up her backpack. "I just need to not talk to anyone right now."

"Is it because of Anna? Just answer me that one," said Olaf.

Elsa fixed him with a hard glare. "It's not because of Anna. It's because of me." And with that, she made her way out and to the bus, leaving the boys to exchange looks of utter bewilderment.

* * *

**UGH I guess it's fine haha**

**I really am loving the predictions and such from you guys. Thank you all for the lovely reviews.**

**I'm certainly gonna try to update this as often as possible. I was riding a Frozen high when I wrote the first chapter, and then Life is Strange slapped me in the face and demanded my attention. So there was that.**

**Fav/Follow/Review**

**See you next time!**


	3. Some Things Never Change

**Ah, Elsa. You're always angsty and angry. But I love you for it.**

**You guys are rockstars for reading. I appreciate you!**

* * *

The ride to the hotel had been uncomfortable. The guys in the bus kept looking from Elsa to Anna and back again as they swayed to their destination, the vehicle idling in traffic for what felt like ages. Olaf had tried to say something, but Marshmallow set his hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head. The girls would sort themselves out once they were alone.

Elsa didn't wait for Anna after they checked in. While Anna hung back to update everyone on their schedule for tomorrow, she had snatched a room key and headed straight for the lifts. Visibly annoyed, Anna slowly went through their itinerary before bidding them goodnight, not looking forward to facing that blizzard.

By the time Anna got up there, Elsa was already in bed and on her phone, hair tied back and face bunched up in a stubborn pout that Anna was well acquainted with. At first, Anna said nothing, moving across the room to set down her overnight bag and unpack her toiletries, ready to shower away the sweat and frustration of the day. Elsa didn't look up, almost as though she was determined not to say anything first.

It wasn't until Anna paused at the doorway of the bathroom did she decide enough was enough. This was silly and childish—way too reminiscent of their first tour. She heaved out a sigh and whirled around to face the punk.

"Are we going to talk about what that was back there?" she asked, one hand on her hip. When Elsa remained taciturn, Anna hardened her voice. "Well? Elsa?"

Elsa spared her a glance. It softened as she drank Anna in: hair stuck to her forehead, cheeks flushed with the stress of the day, body slumped and haggard despite her attempt at standing her ground. Elsa set down her phone, sitting up and facing Anna. She wasn't proud of her behavior, that was for sure. Prolonging this certainly was not going to make matters any better. It wasn't fair to her, especially when Anna really didn't _do_ anything wrong.

"I blew up at you," Elsa recounted diplomatically.

"Yeah, Elsa, what the hell?" The snap made Elsa wince, but Anna had every right. "I get that you're upset over me being all over the place on tours. We've talked about it, I'm aware, and I'm trying. I really am. It's… it's not easy."

Quietly, "I'm not trying to make you feel ashamed about your work ethic."

"Maybe not, but I can understand why you're frustrated with me."

"I promise you that wasn't why I got angry tonight."

Anna paused, cocking her head to one side. "Then what was it?"

"I…" Elsa glanced down at her phone. "I can't talk about it."

Anna shook her head in disbelief, her anger returning. "What do you mean? I'm your _girlfriend_. I'm supposed to be the person you can talk to about anything."

"It's nothing that we can solve in there here and now, Anna. In time, I'll be ready to talk about it. Just not now."

This was getting her no where, but Anna kept pressing, "Why not?"

"I'm still digesting it. It was something devastating and… and it's sort of my fault."

"'Sort of?'"

"I just could have done something better. Look, I _will_ tell you. Just not right now. Please trust me when I say that."

Anna threw her hand up tiredly in defeat. "This doesn't make any sense to me. But fine. It still doesn't excuse you for yelling at me in front of everybody."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you _period_. For that, I apologize. And further, I apologize for embarrassing you. That wasn't fair."

"It's alright, Els. I forgive you. Thank you." Anna frowned. She wanted to keep prodding, keep pushing. Elsa was hiding something, but... but she could also see that Elsa wasn't going to budge. Instead of interrogating her further, she said, "I'm not thrilled over this idea of keeping secrets, but I'll respect your boundaries. Just please, _please_ come to me when you need to talk about it. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." Anna was about to turn away and get to her shower, but she caught sight of those big blue eyes staring at her with guilt. She smiled slightly, crossing over and planted a big kiss on Elsa's lips. "No matter what, I love you, punk."

"I love you, too, kid. Don't let me keep you from getting clean any longer."

With a groan, "At this rate, I think I've accumulated a fine, permanent layer of sweat on my body for the rest of my life."

"God, same. I can't wait until I retire at thirty-five."

"Psh, you'll be traipsing around stage until you're dead."

Elsa smirked. "True."

With that mostly resolved, Anna returned to the bathroom. Elsa groaned quietly and slumped back into bed, running her hands over her face. She truly wanted to tell Anna everything, but even she was having a hard time thinking about it on her own.

She cast a glance at her phone, debating on whether or not she should look through it again before bed.

_No. Don't. _She turned away from her phone, facing the wall opposite the bathroom of their cozy little room. Outside, London slept. Inside, Elsa felt as though she couldn't sleep at all.

She heard the water start to run as Anna stepped into a well-earned shower. She did, truly, feel awful for snapping at Anna. How was Anna supposed to know how Elsa was feeling? Of course, she could just _tell_ her… but this sort of guilt was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Yet that clashed and oozed with her regret of yelling at Anna without warrant, and just became a disgusting bile that sat at the back of Elsa's mouth her entire way back to the hotel. She wanted to reach out to someone who had gone through the same thing… but she didn't even know how to approach the situation to her loving girlfriend. So how was she going to ask someone else about it?

With a grunt, Elsa grabbed her pillow and folded it over the side of her head, her pout once again pinching atop her lips. She couldn't really _comprehend_ what had happened. It wasn't something she ever thought she'd face. At least, not like this.

How long she had been lying like that, she had no idea. Eventually, she let go of the pillow so it flopped back to the side. The water had stopped running, replaced by Anna's humming as she finished getting ready for bed. The blow-dryer… her toothbrush… It was somewhat grounding. It reminded her of home.

Their bathroom back home was attached to their bedroom. Anna often got ready for bed last since she would be stuck in their office, working away. Elsa would lie there and listen to Anna's work, and sometimes Elsa would fall asleep to it. There was another soul, a loving soul, moving about in the house. If Elsa were the one to get ready after Anna, she'd walk back into their bedroom and find a droopy-eyed redhead watching the bathroom door because she simply could not sleep without Elsa in the bed with her.

But that domestic lullaby was not about to sing Elsa to sleep any time soon tonight.

_Don't think about it. It'll be okay…_

The light from the bathroom draped along the bed, catching Elsa's attention for a moment. It was then doused in Anna's shadow, but it didn't move.

"Hey…"

The hairs on the back of Elsa's neck stood to attention. Anna's voice was unmistakably sultry. Licking her lips, Elsa braced herself and looked over her shoulder. Bathed in the golden, steaming light behind her, Anna stood completely bare in the doorway. Elsa's eyes widened. Anna's hair was still a little damp, her towel pooled on the floor behind her. Steam was still lingering in the air, bringing the sweet smell of hotel shampoo and Anna's preferred body wash into the rest of the room.

"I guess I forgot my pajamas in my suitcase," Anna continued. "I hope you don't mind my lack of clothing." Elsa was paralyzed, eyes trained on Anna as she sauntered slowly around the bed, pausing at the foot for a moment. "I suppose I _could_ have put on my underwear from earlier to avoid this, but… hm. I just got clean and I don't want to feel dirty again."

"Anna, you're killing me here," Elsa said hoarsely.

Unable to contain a little smirk, "Am I?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"What's running through your mind?"

Elsa sat upright and threw back her blankets. She crawled across the bed toward Anna, who still hadn't moved from her spot. She gently rested her hands on Anna's hips, supporting herself on her knees as she looked up into Anna's eyes. Her thumbs rubbed circles into Anna's skin, and she thrilled at the way Anna's breath hitched ever-so-slightly at the tender contact.

"I want to show you how sorry I am," Elsa whispered.

"Oh, Elsa." Anna's little show melted away. "I know you're sorry. And I'm sorry, too. For everything. Our little struggle hurts me more than you know."

"When are we gonna stop apologizing?" Elsa sighed, pulling Anna a little closer.

"I don't know. We'll have to work on this." Anna kissed Elsa's forehead.

"I know. But until then, you look like a yummy little distraction."

"I'd be happy to oblige you, but you still have clothes on."

"Then you're gonna have to take them off me, aren't you?" And with that, Elsa dragged Anna down to the bed, the redhead laughing until Elsa kissed her into silence.

* * *

Elsa's phone screen was dark, her thumb hesitating over the home button. She had the number. She could call it. She could hopefully set _something_ right. She only had a couple of hours left until her first show, but she didn't know how long this call would take.

She hadn't done something like this before. Really, she never thought she would _need_ to do something like this. But it was Elsa who reached out. It was a responsibility she bestowed upon herself because she had to do something good.

Alone in the dressing room, Elsa began to pace, fumbling with her phone. She could hear the sounds of everyone getting ready for the show. The voices of the stage crew passing by her door, Anna's loud orders as she directed their personal crew to their places, the reverb of their opening act for this tour, Mad T Party, rehearsing and tuning their instruments.

Right, yes. Mad T Party. Anna had gotten her cartilage piercing from them when they still owned their shop. It wasn't until Anna convinced them to start their band again did they finally find success. While Anna didn't directly manage them, she often collaborated with their own manager, an ex-DJ who went by the name "The White Rabbit." In fact, the only person they knew by their real name was Alice. Everyone else went by a stagename. Mad Hatter, Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, Dormouse, and March Hair. But they were cool, and Elsa liked them just fine. Their gimmick fit nicely alongside Dry Ice's, so it only made sense for them to tour together.

Elsa looked back down at her phone, Alice's voice harmonizing with Mad Hatter's in the background. She had to do it. She had to make the call before she lost the little shred of strength and courage that made her ask for the number in the first place.

"Fuck it," she snarled, unlocking the phone and selecting the number in her contact list.

With shaking hands, she put the phone to her ear and held her breath. It rang for a few beats, Elsa wondering if they were going to even pick up. Then—

"Hello?" The voice was timid, uncertain. Elsa's heart immediately sank, but she knew she had made the right choice.

"Hey, it's Elsa," she said carefully.

"Oh my God… I didn't think you were actually gonna call me." They gave a small laugh. "I almost thought… I dunno _what_ I thought."

"Yeah, well, I make good on my promises. I'm here for you, okay? I don't normally do this sort of thing but after what happened… and seeing you. I knew I couldn't just stand around and do nothing."

"You're incredible," they said, voice shrouded with awe. "I don't know anybody else who would reach out like this." They started to cry. "I can't even begin to… I don't know how I could ever…"

"Hey, it's gonna be okay." Elsa sat down on the fading leather couch. "We'll work this out together. I can't call you every single day, but I'll call you as often as I can. Just hang in there."

They stayed on the phone together for a little over an hour, Elsa feeling herself smile. She was doing the right thing.

She just couldn't tell Anna. Not yet.

* * *

The first show was always exhilarating. Feeling the energy of the crowd all around her, Elsa was able to push everything out of her head and focus on the moment at hand. With all her own original songs at her disposal, she was able to center the show around the band. Of course, she often paid tribute to some of her favorite songs that got her to where she was today, but she definitely preferred her material.

And the crowd seemed to wholeheartedly agree.

While "Let It Go" was still her most popular song, everyone foamed at the mouth over "Into the Unknown" just as much. It was her show stopper during this tour, and she couldn't be more pleased.

She adored Olaf's added vocals that went so well with her own. He often played the roll of "the voice" that Elsa had implemented in her album. It was another Dry Ice secret Elsa was keeping from the public, just like she had done with her gloves. Although there was more speculation of what this voice was supposed to be. In her head, and in the actual album, the voice was always female, and Elsa _herself_ providing the vocals, but Olaf would have to do. After all, he could easily contort his voice to go high in pitch.

It was also something Anna was in the dark about. And it drove Anna crazy. Elsa said she would reveal it to her when she finished her newest song, that it was meant to be a surprise. The only thing that comforted Anna was the fact that the boys in the band didn't know, either. She just wished that Elsa would stop with all these damn secrets.

So, while Anna did love "Into the Unknown," she felt a bit of resentment toward it as she watched the show from the wings. Elsa was moving those hips as per usual, making the crowd scream for the sex goddess she was. Rapunzel was standing beside her, talking with Kristoff over her headset to help him adjust the lighting when needed. When Rapunzel took a pause, she regarded her cousin, noting the crease in her brow.

"Still hating on the song?" Rapunzel asked knowingly.

"I'm not hating on it," Anna said quickly.

"Mm, are you sure? 'Cause that's what it looks like from here."

"I'm not the same girl who resented the song because I thought the band was over-hyped."

"I never said you were... but you're acting like that same girl."

"Punz, I like it. It's fine. I'm just growing tired of all these song secrets. I'm the manager, I should be in the know."

"No, you're just in the unknown."

"Stop."

"Sorry." But she wasn't, and her grin showed Anna that loud and clear. "Look, Anna, Elsa has that air of mystery around her. Whether she's aware of it or not, it's just part of who she is."

"I just want her to tell me. I'm still a little miffed that she's keeping this weird secret about why she was upset the other day."

"I would be, too. It was kind of odd of her to be so snippy."

Anna rubbed the back of her neck. "It's just not the Elsa I know now."

"Some things never change, Anna. You can't force it out of her."

Anna sighed. "I know." She gazed out into the crowd, watching them fawn over her girlfriend as she teased them, gliding seamlessly across the edge of the stage. "I just wish I didn't have to work so hard at getting the right answer. I thought she trusted me."

"She _does_ trust you… have you told her all this?"

"Kind of. Not as much as I would have liked to have told her. When I'm faced with the issue, I'm not as eloquent. I just wanted to stop the fight before it got worse."

"But, Anna, you can't let this fester."

"I'm well aware, Punz." Anna activated her headset, getting back to business. "That was the last number. Get ready for the encore, everyone."

* * *

The swaying of the bus was all too familiar to Anna as they pulled away from the venue. She watched the surrounding area vanish, only to be replaced with new streets and cars as they ambled toward Brighton for the next show. She was sitting at their little booth, her laptop in front of her and ready for her to do some work. But her mind was miles away, unable to tear her gaze from the window.

She had come so far since they started. From roadie to manager. Her responsibilities sat heavy on her shoulders, and all it did was add to the stress of not only managing her band, but her relationship with Elsa. She thought back about what Rapunzel had said. That Anna couldn't force Elsa to tell her secrets. Sometimes secrets were good, like when Elsa planned that surprise birthday party for her (only for it to be sabotaged by Elsa's cold). Sometimes things were forgotten to be shared, which happens. It was never something meant to be kept, but simply slipped the mind of the other. While that was all true, she felt as though she shouldn't be kept in the dark over something that was _clearly_ taking up a good portion of the punk's headspace. Elsa wasn't supposed to be the same girl she was when they first met.

The gloves, the meaning behind "Let It Go," hell, her fucking _last name_ was all kept from Anna and only revealed to her over time back then. True, Elsa had been different. She had been brash and uncouth. She drove Anna _crazy_. But she was supposed to be better now, right? She was a little gentler, sensitive with her words. She drove Anna crazy in a different sense of the word… but now it felt as though they were on a beeline to square one.

She let herself cast a glimpse toward the punk herself, lounging on the shorter couch, messing around on her guitar. She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty because Elsa was trying to be understanding about Anna's work ethic, while Anna was feeling the resentment this time. Maybe Elsa was _still_ resentful that Anna threw herself into her work more often than not.

Maybe they were both keeping the unsaid between them and it was tearing them apart.

Her biggest fear was losing Elsa as a result of this nonsense. She loved Elsa to death, and she was glad that Elsa _knew_ that… or, at least, so it seemed. With the continuous dancing on eggshells and flirting with miscommunication, Anna was unsure if Elsa even believed her and her efforts to be more productive in their relationship.

Anna suppressed a frustrated groan, hunching over her computer and throwing herself back into work. What she needed to do was focus on their tour and worry about Elsa when she didn't have a to-do list up to her eyes. Honeymaren was a worthwhile assistant, but Anna definitely preferred to give her work a personal touch. It was a distraction, but she knew that it couldn't be such forever.

The clunky strums of Elsa's guitar suddenly started to gain a melody. Anna peered over the top of her computer, her ears twitching to the familiarity of a proper song. Even Kristoff, who was sitting across Elsa, picked up his head from his phone.

She was humming to the music, her foot tapping to the pace of the song. Not too fast, not too slow. A nice, even rhythm that held an almost lullaby-esque aura. Anna and Kristoff exchanged eager glances. Was this the elusive new song that she had been working on, and had she simply forgotten that she was not alone in the bus.

"Mmm… _in her waters, deep and true_…" Elsa mumbled, pausing and writing down the lyrics on a pad of legal paper set by her side. "_Lie the answers and a path for you…_ Hm." She tapped her pencil against her lips.

"Is that your secret song?" Kristoff blurted, and Anna refrained from throwing her pen at him.

Elsa smirked. "It's not, actually. This is something I had been working on for my mother."

"For Iduna? Seriously?" Anna perked up.

"Mhm. She wrote the first part of this song when she met my dad. When my mom actually believed in his dream to become a rockstar. She never put a tune to it, and never took it further."

"Does it have a meaning?"

"Not for her, not really. She wrote it more as a poem for my dad to turn into a song. He never did, obviously." Elsa swung herself upright and tuned her guitar. "I call it 'All Is Found.'"

"Can we hear the rest?" Kristoff asked.

"It's not finished, blondie." Elsa chuckled at his pout. "When it's finished, I'll show you."

"So, what's your secret song?" he pressed.

"That's not finished, either," Elsa said, rolling her eyes. "Stop asking me."

"Oh, come on!" he whined, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "We gotta know at some point."

"You'll find out," said Elsa smoothly.

Anna sighed, removing herself from the conversation before it got to be too much. It was just another Elsa secret that Anna would have to fight to find out.

And she was growing so tired of the fight.

* * *

**I know this is short and I'm SORRY but I was struggling to, like, produce more for this. If I forced anything out, it sounded clunky and gross. I only want to give you guys the "best" I can do, haha. I don't intend on this to be too long of a sequel anyway, but who knows.**

**Anyway, I'm in self-quarantine at the moment with all the craziness going on. I'm healthy and okay, but my job has closed for about two weeks, possibly more. So I've been working on too many fucking projects while I wait for this to all blow over.**

**Please stay safe, friends. Drink water, wash your hands, all that jazz.**

**See you next time!**


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